Texas Tech on Wednesday finally announced its spring signing class, adding nine new players to the seven that were signed in the early period in the fall.
Five high school players and four junior college talents comprise the spring group, and all are expected to make an immediate impact next season. They're going to have to, not only because this year's team is underachieving but because Tech expects to lose several juniors to the MLB Draft.

This weekend's Big 12 series between Texas Tech and Oklahoma was already going to be highly crucial since both teams started off league play at 0-3. Now, however, it might be entertaining as well.
Apparently, OU coach Sunny Golloway may be taking some flack from some comments made to the Daily Oklahoman this week regarding the adjusments the Sooners are having to make with a new pitching staff. In particular, one referencing former assistant Tim Tadlock, who just happens to be on the staff now with Texas Tech.

So the Big 12 Conference baseball season started Friday night, and the Red Raiders came out with a resounding thud.
Tech picked the wrong time to have the worst outing by its most consistent starting pitcher, which led to a 9-4 loss to the Baylor Bears at the Baylor Ballpark. Not the worst time -- that would be in the championship game of the College World Series -- but until that happens, this ranks as a pretty bad time.

OK, so with Monday's 7-4 loss to TCU, the Red Raider baseball team is officially more than 1/4 of the way through the season.
So, what do we know about this team? Can we draw any conclusions yet?
Sure. Just on eye test alone, we can see the pitching for the Red Raiders in 2012 is markedly better, and by better I mean more consistent. They aren't walking many, and they're making teams earn their way on base. We also know that the offense is good at taking what other team give them and turning it into runs.

OK, so we're roughly 19 hours from the first pitch for the 2012 Texas Tech baseball season. Hopefully you've combed through our season preview (http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-baseball/2012-02-11/red-raiders-planning-leaving-ncaa-no-excuses-2012#.Tz3Av8VSTcw), but that doesn't always tell you the whole story.
So here are the players I think who need to step up, will step up and what should happen once the first pitch is thrown.

In the words of that famous redneck poem: "Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, on look how purty the flowers is."
That pretty much sums up the sentiment as Texas Tech baseball, like programs around the country, opened full team workouts today just three weeks from the season opener Feb. 17 against Missouri State. The construction that is the $5 million renovation to Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field was finally joined by the pieces starting to be placed on the field in terms of the 2012 Red Raiders.

Well, we're about to see just how deep Tech's pitching staff is going to be in 2012.
The Red Raiders announced Tuesday that senior right-hander Brennan Stewart, arguably their best reliever over the course of the 2011 season, will miss at least the start of the season and possibly the entire year after undergoing lower back surgery on Dec. 23.

Welcome back one and all to the rubber match between Texas Tech and Nebraska from Dan Law Field.
The series is tied at 1 win apiece after the Red Raiders held on for a 10-8 win on Saturday. Today's game is crucial for the Red Raiders if they want to finish in the top half of the Big 12.
A win today would give Tech a 4-2 conference mark. The last time the Red Raiders had a winning record through their first two conference series was 1999 (5-1). Plus Tech needs the win to hold serve at home and not erase the progress made from the road series win at Baylor.

Welcome back to Dan Law Field for today's second game of a three-game Big 12 Conference series between Texas Tech and Nebraska.
It's an interesting game for the Red Raiders to see how they respond after getting boatraced last night, 15-5, at the hands of the Cornhuskers. Tech needs a win today to have a chance at winning the series and finishing above .500 through the first two weeks of conference play for the first time since 1999.
Nebraska has all the confidence and momentum right now, and that's huge on the road.